4.10.2007

Arts and Crafts

After a couple trips to the library and countless internet searches, it seems that I have an Arts and Crafts style house. This was a movement that began in England in response to the Victorian style, which was considered too opulent and affluent for early settlers. The idea was simple and clean lines; a minimalist approach. Although compared to today's boring trim work, it seems that even Arts and Crafts style is considerably more decorative then most houses that I have lived in.

After stripping the trim around the doors and some of the baseboards, it appears that most of the woodwork is not the original. In fact the front baseboard was a composite. I was pretty sure that the previous owners had just made some new style up. But alas, my baseboards are in fact a legitimate style and not just a way to cover up no longer existing plaster on the walls.

My baseboards are very tall (nearly 8"). Most are not original, but instead a piece of pine board. The originals are rounded on the corners. The second baseboard is a colonial (5 1/4") composite baseboard. Although the original trim was not definitely composite, once it is painted, it is hard to tell the difference. There is only a slight difference in price. However, I will probably also use the composite, since the baseboards are to be painted white. The final piece, which is missing in all the rooms but one, is the "shoe piece" or a piece of quarter round at the bottom. This is critical, since this covers any imperfections and hides the fact that the floor is not level. In the office, there is a shoe molding, but it is a cove. I think that I like it better than the quarter round, which they managed to shove into every corner, but the baseboards.

So here is what the baseboards are supposed to look like...


Here is a picture of the office baseboard...



Here is the living room trim. it is hard to tell from this picture, but it is crooked in many places, isn't beveled in the corners, is dripping with paint, and is missing the shoe...



And here we are, replacing and finishing the baseboards in the living room...







Not quite finished, since we can't add the shoe piece until we are finished with sanding the floors. We attempted to cut some inexpensive cove that I got at the building salvage store. It is very difficult to visualize and make sure that the piece is not upside down or backwards when cutting. Thankfully when I was going through the garage I found some more lengths of the molded colonial baseboard and cove. Finally something left in the house that is worthwhile!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very proud of the both of you. I can't wait to see it when you are ready.

Lance Volmer